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Here is a video of a NYC taxi driver going up on 1st Ave catching green lights at every intersection from 1st to 125th St.* The driver spends a significant amount of time in a lane marked "BUS ONLY" which it seems buses sometimes use (e.g. see early in the 9th and 10th minutes), though they sometimes use the other side (e.g. third quarter of 2nd minute).

NYC's page on these lanes states "If you drive, park, or stand in a bus lane during hours of operation you face fines ranging from $115 to $150" (plus possible points against a license) and describes even automatic video enforcement, but the cab driver seems quite comfortable driving there. This video was taken on a Sunday night, so maybe the cab driver knew of an exception, which the rule statement seems to allow for (via language restricting the offense definition to "during hours of operation.")

How does one find out what hours those restrictions are in effect?
Even the Bus Rapid Transit page for the First Ave route does not seem to have an answer.

(*): Audio NSFW, and there is an odd jump in the video at 11:38.

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  • They tend to be signposted at regular intervals along the length of the bus lane, here, though this may not be applicable in the area you ask about. For example of such a sign, encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/… – Nij Aug 26 '16 at 6:38
  • So, taxis are generally authorized regardless of the time? – WBT Aug 26 '16 at 12:29
  • Not generally. The lane may be bus only, but it is outside the bus only times of operation or it may be a transit lane in which buses and taxis as well as vehicles with more than some number of passengers are permitted (e.g. a T3 lane requires at least three occupants in the vehicle). The latter seems to not be applicable here; the lane is marked "bus only", not "T-something". – Nij Aug 26 '16 at 20:09
  • @Nij The sign you posted indicates (at least to me) that buses, taxis, motorcycles, and bicycles are all authorized vehicles independent of hour. – WBT Aug 26 '16 at 20:35
  • I would have said that's not a bus only lane sign, but was meant to show an example of the times of operations. Other signs with the words "bus only" are a lot clearer in that they show a bus symbol and nothing else. Either way, this is not a sign from the street your video was shot, so it may be completely different. – Nij Aug 26 '16 at 21:09

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